Searches for “inclusion strategy” went from around a hundred a month last winter to nearly 3,000 in September. Searches for “inclusion strategy examples” went up more than thirtyfold.
It isn’t hard to see why. Every mainstream school receiving the Inclusive Mainstream Fund has to write an Inclusion Strategy by 31 December. It has to set out how the money will be used against seven principles set by the DfE. For most heads and SENCOs, that’s another document in an autumn term that was already full.
I don’t think the difficulty is understanding inclusion. Heads and SENCOs know their children far better than any guidance does. The difficulty is turning what you already do, and what you want to do, into something that fits seven headings and shows the money is making a difference.
So this is an attempt to help with that. For each principle, it covers what the DfE is asking for, what you might write, and some of the things schools are using.
One thing to be upfront about. We make Trivela FC, a maths game, and it appears below under the two principles where we think it genuinely fits. Everything else is here because it’s useful, and we have no connection to any of it. Check anything you’re considering against your own pupils and the DfE guidance itself.
Before you start
Start from your children, not the principles. Who isn’t thriving at the moment, and why? The principles are the headings; your pupils are the content.
You don’t need something new under every principle. A lot of what counts is already happening in your school. Say so, and say what you’ll strengthen.
For each thing you spend money on, say how you’ll know it’s working: one measure you’ll check, and when. That’s the part most templates leave out, and it’s the part that will matter when someone asks what the money achieved.
Principle 1: Ambitious leadership and governance that embeds inclusion
The DfE wants inclusion to be a shared responsibility across the leadership team, not just the SENCO’s job, with consultation and external challenge built in.
You might write about who on the leadership team owns which part of the strategy, how governors will be kept informed, and where your external challenge will come from.
The Whole School SEND resources hosted by nasen, including its SEND review guide, are free and widely used for self-review. Peer review networks such as Challenge Partners, or your trust’s own review process, can provide the external challenge. Mostly, though, this principle is about time and structure rather than anything you buy.
Principle 2: Evidence-based support prioritising early intervention
This is about catching difficulties early and acting on them, without waiting for a formal assessment. The DfE’s own examples focus on language, such as small-group interventions and pre-teaching vocabulary.
You might write about which children you’re targeting, how you’ll identify them, what support they’ll get, how often, and how you’ll measure it.
For language, NELI (the Nuffield Early Language Intervention) has strong evidence behind it and is already in many Reception classes. For early numbers, the NCETM’s Mastering Number programme is free through Maths Hubs. For children who need more maths practice than the lesson allows, schools use TA-led approaches such as Numicon-based interventions or precision teaching, or tutoring such as Third Space Learning.
This is one of the places Trivela fits. Each child answers maths questions at their own level, so a child who has fallen behind gets the repetition they need without waiting for an adult to be free. Teachers see a question-by-question heat map of where each child is stuck, which helps spot difficulties early. It isn’t a diagnostic tool, and it doesn’t replace concrete, teacher-led teaching. It works best as the practice that follows that teaching.
Principle 3: High quality adaptive teaching with curriculum designed for all learners
The aim here is to strengthen teaching for the whole cohort, so that more children’s needs are met in class rather than through withdrawal. The DfE points to EEF guidance and scenario-based professional development.
You might write about what adaptive teaching looks like in your classrooms, the training you’ll provide, and how you’ll check it’s happening.
The EEF’s guidance report on special educational needs in mainstream schools is the obvious starting point. Its “five-a-day” approach gives you a ready-made structure for this section: explicit instruction, cognitive and metacognitive strategies, scaffolding, flexible grouping and using technology. Maths Hubs run free teaching-for-mastery work groups, and scheme providers such as White Rose Maths offer paid training.
For maths practice in class, adaptive platforms let every child work at their own level at the same time. Trivela is one. The whole class plays the same game, but each child’s questions are matched to them, so nobody is visibly in the “bottom group”. Sumdog and IXL also adapt questions to the child. Whichever you look at, ask one question: does it work for the children who don’t engage at the moment? Usage data split by pupil group will tell you.
Principle 4: Enriching provision beyond the classroom that all children can access
This covers clubs, trips and activities that every child can take part in, not just those who can afford it or are confident enough to sign up.
You might write about which children currently miss out, what’s stopping them (cost, transport, timing, support) and what you’ll change.
This is mostly about people and money rather than products. Premier League Primary Stars offers free, curriculum-linked resources that appeal to children who are drawn to sport. The most useful starting point is usually simpler: look at who attends your clubs now, and who doesn’t.
Principle 5: A safe and respectful culture fostering belonging, attendance and participation in learning
This principle covers attendance, belonging and mental wellbeing.
You might write about attendance for pupils with SEND compared with their peers, what you’ll do for those with low attendance, and how you’ll support wellbeing.
The DfE’s own attendance guidance and toolkit are the place to start. Zones of Regulation is widely used to help children manage their emotions, and some schools have access to counselling services such as Place2Be.
Principle 6: Strong partnerships with families and wider services
This is about working closely with parents and with health and specialist services.
You might write about how parents of children with SEND are involved in planning, how you’ll share progress with them, and how you work with specialist services locally.
The EEF’s guidance on working with parents to support children’s learning is practical and well evidenced. Most schools already use a communication app such as ClassDojo, Seesaw or Arbor; the harder question is how you reach the families who rarely engage. Programmes children use at home, where parents can see progress, can help a little here, Trivela included, but they’re a small part of this principle, not the heart of it.
Principle 7: Inclusive environments with continuous improvements to accessibility
This covers physical and curricular accessibility, including inclusion bases within mainstream schools.
You might write about what an accessibility audit has shown, the changes you’ll make, and any resourced provision you’re planning.
Some of the most useful tools are free, such as Microsoft’s Immersive Reader and built-in text-to-speech. Widgit symbols are widely used for visual support, and concrete maths resources such as Numicon help children who need to see and handle the maths. If you’re buying anything digital, ask the supplier directly about text-to-speech, reading load, timed elements and visual settings. That’s a question we’re working through for Trivela too.
A few things to avoid
Don’t list products instead of outcomes. A strategy that names six programmes and no measures won’t tell you, or anyone else, whether the money worked.
Don’t spread the money too thinly. Three things done well will do more than ten things done a bit.
And don’t write it alone. Principle 1 is clear that inclusion belongs to the whole leadership team, and the strategy is a good place to start making that real.
Where we fit, honestly
Trivela FC is a football maths game for primary schools, with content running through to GCSE. We think it genuinely supports Principles 2 and 3. It gives children who are behind more practice, in class alongside their classmates, with data that shows the teacher exactly where each child is stuck. It costs £400 + VAT a year for the whole school.
If you’d like to try it as part of your strategy, you can find out more and sign up here.
The strategy is due on 31 December. The work it describes will take a lot longer than that. The most useful version is probably the one that’s honest about where you are now.